The Final Third

I’ve discovered an interesting phenomenon. Okay, so by discovered, I really mean noticed and felt the need to share. Writing the final third of a novel is infinitely easier than writing the first third.

I’ve recently started working on the second book in The Chronicles of Maggie Trent. The first book, The Girl Without Magic, is due out January 9th.

Because life on the Wizard of Oz tour is chaotic, I’ve been sending the manuscript to my beta reader a third at a time. The first third felt like a major mountain that was impossible to climb while living on a tour bus. But I got through it and sent the pages to Mr. Beta.

The next bit was better than the first. Maybe it was because I had gotten into a good routine on the bus, maybe it was because I finally knew how I wanted the sequel to feel and had gotten comfortable in this new version of my characters’ skin.

The final third, the third where things start blowing up, has been flying by. Theoretically, I only have seven chapters left to write! That means I could very well have the first draft done before Christmas!

It’s all sliding into place. All the tangles are looping together, and I’m having such a great time.

And now I’m writing this blog so when I hit the next project, writing the third and final book in the Girl of Glass series, I can remember not to panic on the first portion of the project. It gets easier as you go. You just have to keep moving forward.